‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) said on the pulpit in Kufa and a large crowd had heard it. ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) had said:

After the death of Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) we have to come to know that Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) is the best amongst us all, and after the death of Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) we have to come to know that ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) is the best amongst us.

When Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) entered Makkah and he sat down comfortably in the Mosque (ie Masjid al Haram), Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) came to him with (his father) Abu Qahafah (رضي الله عنه). On seeing him, the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) of Allah remarked, “Why did you give trouble to the old man, I would have visited him?” Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) said,”O Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) of Allah! This was his duty to visit you than you visit him.” Then the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) of Allah let Abu Qahafah (رضي الله عنه) sit down in front of him and after keeping his hand upon his heart, he said, “O Abu Qahafah(رضي الله عنه) ! Accept Islam and you will be saved (from the calamities).” On this, he embraced islam and bore witness to the truth (ie recited the kalimah).

It has been narrated that when Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) brought Abu Qahafah (رضي الله عنه) , the hair of his (Abu Qahafah) head and chest were white like white grass. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “Change the whiteness of the hair but not with black dye.”

It was reported in al -musnad that if Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) dropped his whip (while riding), he would not ask anyone to hand it to him but he would say, “My close friend (Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) ) commanded me not to ask people for anything.”

He stayed up late one night in the house of Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) with the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) of Allah, discussing the affairs of Muslims. The Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) of Allah went out and we went out with him, and there was a man standing and praying in the mosque. The Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) of Allah stood and listened to his recitation, and before we recognised whose voice it was, the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) of Allah said, “Whoever would like to recite the Qur’an fresh as it was revealed, let him recite according to the recitation of Ibn Umm ‘Abd (‘ Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه)).” Then the man sat and made du’a and the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) started saying to him, “Ask, for you will be given, ask, for you will be given.”

‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) said, “By Allah, I will go to him tomorrow and tell him this good news. The next day, I went to him (‘ Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه)) to tell him this good news and I found that Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) had beaten me to it. I never tried to beat him to something good but he beat me to it.”

He said, ” No rather, I shall leave you just as Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) left you. If Allah has decreed good for you then He will bring you together to select the best of you just as He made you choose the best of you after Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) .”

This was an acknowledgement by ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) just before his death that Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) was superior in excellence.

‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) came out to them one day after sunrise. He said,

I dreamt before dawn as though I am given the keys and balances… I was put in a pan and my ummah in the other pan, and was weighed against them. I outweighed them. Then Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) was brought and was weighed against them and he outweighed them. Then ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) was brought and he too outweighed them. Then, ‘Uthman (رضي الله عنه) was brought and he too outweighed them. Then it was taken away.